Scattered shipwreck site prospection: the combined use of numerical modeling and documentary research (Fougueux, 1805)

Abstract

A shipwreck site located off Sancti Petri sand spit (Cadiz, Spain) was identified as a Temeraire-class 74-gun French ship. The archaeological deposits relate it to the Fougueux, sunken after the Battle of Trafalgar. The site contains some pieces of the naval structure, 32 iron guns, and a large anchor, but two thirds of the ship is missing. Available information (including ship logbooks of weather observations and other historic documents) establishes that a dismasted French ship ran aground on 22 October 1805 and broke up into pieces on the 25th due to tempestuous weather. Combining that information and a set of numerical models (ocean, atmosphere, and dispersion), we aim to simulate different scenarios in order to determine the most probable areas for finding the shipwreck remains of the Fougueux, taking into account the uncertainty of the information used and the modeling limitations. The probability of finding scattered remains belonging to the Fougueux was calculated using the modeled scenarios. As a result, it was found that the high probability area contained four additional sites comprising 40 guns and 5 anchors whose characteristics and dating are similar to those of the previously known site. The results of our study highlight the value of numerical modeling in underwater archaeology as a tool for the identification and optimization of resources in prospecting scattered shipwreck sites.

Residual relief modelling: digital elevation enhancement for shipwreck site characterisation

“…The UNESCO Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage states that in situ preservation of sites should be the first option (UNESCO 2002). In response, recent research has concentrated on better understanding and quantifying natural and anthropogenic forces affecting preservation and degradation of submerged sites commonly referred to as site formation processes (Quinn et al 2007;Ruuskanen et al 2015;Bethencourt et al 2018;Fernández-Montblanc et al 2016;Fernández-Montblanc et al 2018a, 2018b. Among them, linked hydrodynamic and sediment dynamic processes are understood to control other natural formation processes such as biological encrustation and chemical corrosion (Ward et al 1999).…”